As an eCommerce business owner, you know that dead stock can be a significant drain on your resources. These unsold products tie up capital, occupy valuable storage space, and can even lead to additional costs. In this post, we’ll explore practical, actionable steps to help you identify, manage, and clear dead stock inventory efficiently, furthermore, turn your dead stock into an opportunity for profit and growth.
What is Dead Stock?
Dead stock refers to inventory that remains unsold by retailers and eCommerce businesses, with little prospect of future sales. This inventory typically sits idle in warehouses or backrooms of physical stores. It’s important to note that dead stock differs from returned merchandise, as it has never been purchased by a customer.
Seasonal items often become dead stock. For instance, products labeled “New Year 2022” become obsolete immediately after the event, as they can’t be sold in subsequent years.
The impact of dead stock on your business can be significant, particularly for eCommerce operations lacking effective inventory control measures. Companies utilizing advanced inventory management systems or software are less likely to accumulate excess stock.
Dead stock goes by several names in the industry, including ‘dead inventory,’ ‘obsolete stock,’ and ‘excess inventory/stock.’
What are the Common Reasons for Dead Stock?
Many retailers struggle to identify the root causes of dead stock in their inventory. To help you clear dead stock proactively, we’ve compiled a list of the primary factors that contribute to the accumulation of dead stock.
- Inconsistency in Ordering
Dead stock often results from inconsistent ordering practices, such as purchasing products at inopportune times or in excessive quantities. To prevent this, implement a well-structured ordering schedule. Utilize key metrics and formulas like Inventory Turnover Ratio, Economic Order Quantity (EOQ), and Reorder Point (ROP) to guide your decisions. These tools can help you fine-tune various aspects of your order management strategy, ensuring you maintain optimal stock levels.
- Sales Cannibalization
Product cannibalization occurs when retailers offer multiple items that are too similar to each other. In such cases, consumer preferences can lead to one product significantly outperforming its counterparts, resulting in dead stock. This situation stems from the interplay between consumer behavior and product popularity. When customers consistently choose one item over its similar alternatives, retailers may find themselves stuck with unsold inventory of the less popular products.
- Poor Sales
It’s evident that weak sales performance is a direct path to dead stock accumulation. Several factors can contribute to poor sales, including pricing issues and quality concerns. Products that are outdated or no longer align with current trends may struggle to capture customer interest. Additionally, items can end up as dead stock if they’re overshadowed by more appealing alternatives in the market.
- Defective products
Customers are typically reluctant to purchase items that come in low-quality packaging or fail to meet their expected product specifications. Products that are defective or fall short of industry standards often find themselves languishing in inventory, unsold and unwanted.
- Manual Inventory Management
Manually managing inventory puts retail businesses at constant risk. This approach is prone to human error, often resulting in inventory discrepancies. Businesses may lose accurate counts of current stock and struggle to track incoming shipments effectively.
How to Clear Dead Stock
Give Customers a Free Gift with Their Purchase
A powerful tactic to move stagnant inventory is including a free item with customer purchases. This approach serves multiple purposes: it clears out slow-moving stock, incentivizes potential buyers, and can trigger sales that might not have occurred otherwise.
By implementing this strategy, you can effectively reduce excess inventory while simultaneously enhancing customer satisfaction. Shoppers appreciate the added value, creating a positive outcome for both your business and your clientele.
Implement Liquidation
This method involves drastically reducing prices to accelerate sales. Although this approach may not maximize profits, it offers two key benefits: it allows you to recover a portion of your initial investment and creates valuable space for more lucrative merchandise. This strategy prioritizes quick turnover over high margins, helping to refresh your inventory efficiently.
Offer Bundle Products
A clever approach to clear dead stock is to package it with sought-after items. This strategy enhances the overall appeal of the offer, making it more enticing for customers to buy.
By grouping less popular products with best-sellers, you accomplish two goals simultaneously: clearing out stagnant stock and potentially boosting your average transaction value. Customers are often drawn to these curated sets, perceiving them as better value for money.
Implement Strategic Discount Events
A proven technique for eliminating stagnant inventory is through targeted clearance events. These promotions involve substantial price reductions on select items or even store-wide discounts, generating a sense of immediacy and enthusiasm among shoppers.
By organizing these limited-time offers, you can rapidly move slow-selling stock while simultaneously appealing to bargain-hunting consumers. This approach not only helps clear warehouse space but also has the potential to attract new customers drawn by the promise of significant savings.
Donate to Charity
When other strategies prove ineffective to clear dead stock, charitable donation becomes a viable option. While this approach doesn’t yield immediate financial returns, it can offer significant indirect benefits to your business.
Allocating unsold stock to worthy causes can enhance your brand’s reputation and create positive social impact. This gesture can improve public perception, potentially leading to increased customer loyalty and word-of-mouth promotion. Additionally, such donations may qualify for tax deductions, offering some financial offset.
How to Prevent Dead Stock Inventory BackOrder
You now can effectively manage your inventory and avoid dead stock while capitalizing on backorder opportunities by using BigCommerce BackOrder. This powerful app helps rescue potential lost revenue, increase cart conversion rates, and maintain precise control over your inventory.
With automated inventory management, BigCommerce BackOrder allows you to implement a comprehensive strategy that optimizes conversions. The app enables you to retain customers even when products are temporarily out of stock, turning potential losses into sales opportunities.
By joining numerous successful BigCommerce merchants already using this tool, you can streamline your inventory processes, reduce the risk of accumulating dead stock, and maximize your selling potential – all through a single, integrated application.
Wrapping up
Managing dead stock effectively is key to a thriving eCommerce business. By using strategies like bundling, clearance sales, and smart inventory management tools, you can turn slow-moving products into opportunities.
Remember, preventing dead stock is just as important as clear dead stock. With the right approach, you can keep your inventory fresh and your profits growing. Contact us today to discuss how we can boost your eCommerce success.
